Macfarlane rings alarm bell about LNG

Opposition resources spokesman
Ian Macfarlane
warned on Friday that the future of Queensland’s $70 billion liquefied natural gas export industry would be at risk if government and industry did not address concerns about water.

Queensland’s coal-seam gas industry was “within a blink of getting absolutely stalled" a few months ago when landowner concerns escalated about the impact of the industry on their water supplies, he said in Darwin.

“Farmers are no longer confident their water supplies aren’t being affected by coal-seam gas."

Mr Macfarlane pointed to estimates that the volume of water to be pumped out of the coal seams each day by the industry was equivalent to Brisbane’s entire water consumption.

Without the recent move by the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association to install Ross Dunn to negotiate with regional communities about the fast-developing industry, there would have been a “meltdown" in public support for the sector, Mr Macfarlane told reporters.

In July, then environment minister
Peter Garrett
delayed crucial environmental approvals of BG’s and
Santos
’s LNG projects in Queensland, requiring more answers about the impact of the industry on groundwater. New environment minister
Tony Burke
is due to rule on the approvals by October 11, although that date may be extended.